Region 8-AAAA ranked as the toughest in state

Prep football

Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010

By Jeff Cochran

The coaches, players and fans of Region 8-AAAA boasted their region's strength without rest during the regular season last year.

When the region landed three teams in the Class AAAA quarterfinals (Apalachee, Clarke Central and Rockdale County), two in the semifinals (Clarke Central and Rockdale County) and one in the state finals (Clarke Central), everyone else started listening.

"We know there are no sleepers in this region, from A to Z," Gladiators coach Leroy Ryals said. "One loss can cost you a playoff spot. That is why it is important for us to always concentrate on the upcoming opponent."

This year, the region looks a little different with Monroe Area (0-10 last year) moving out and Flowery Branch (10-4 in Class AAA) moving in. If anything, the region has only gotten more difficult.

The number crunchers agree, making it clear that Region 8-AAAA is arguably the toughest in Class AAAA.

Last week, The Maxwell Ratings system released its list of the top 10 hardest schedules in Class AAAA. All 10 schedules come from Region 8-AAAA.

Winder-Barrow was listed as the team with the toughest schedule, with Cedar Shoals, Habersham Central, Salem and Heritage rounding out the top five.

First-year Bulldoggs coach David Wagner hadn't heard that his team was listed as the one with the toughest schedule, but he greeted the news with a laugh.

"All I'm worried about is Rockdale County," said Wagner of his Week 1 opponent. "That is just the nature of our region. There is always the argument amongst players and fans about whose region is tougher. I think with our performance last year that we solidified our reputation for awhile."

"When you add Flowery Branch to the region, it is going to make it tougher," said Apalachee coach Shane Davis, whose Wildcats went 10-0 in the regular season last year. "You are bringing a team into the region that expects to win. They aren't going to go onto the field hoping to win."

The Maxwell Ratings were created by Loren Maxwell, the founder of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website.

The ratings are computer-generated, mathematical and based on the previous season. On top of doing well in the playoffs, Region 8-AAAA demonstrated a lot of parity in 2009, which bolsters its apparent strength.

For instance, while Clarke Central went to the state finals, rival Cedar Shoals struggled through a 3-7 season. But the Gladiators only beat the Jaguars 14-7 in a close contest. Region champion Apalachee also barely defeated Cedar Shoals, winning 12-6.

The Wildcats also survived Heritage - which finished with a losing record - by a single point, 24-23. Rockdale County, which finished third in the region, narrowly beat winless Monroe Area 18-15 last year.

"Everybody is right there in the mix," said Wagner, who was Apalachee defensive coordinator last year. "Every team comes to play and comes to compete."

Making the region even more difficult is the fact that each team has to play a 10-game region schedule, meaning no team has a warmup game or non-region contest to find mistakes and correct them.

Every win or loss has an impact on the standings and playoff possibilities. But since the region is so difficult, many coaches believe that an early loss isn't going to knock a team completely out of contention.

"It is good and bad," Ryals said. "If you lose one early, you aren't totally out of it because chances are someone is going to knock someone off. That is a tribute to the coaches and teams in this region."